A weekly address from Patrick Adams,
President of St. Louis Community Credit Union

Sometimes Technology Gets a Little Wild

Do you know what “The Dynatrap® XL” is? Sounds pretty intimidating. The price is equally as intimidating: $179. What you have here is something that wreaks havoc on the flying insect community. That’s right, “The Dynatrap XL” is only the first name. The full product name is “The Dynatrap XL Flying Insect Eliminator.” Basically, it’s a bug zapper. Somewhere the head of marketing just fainted because of my minimalist characterization. Oh, well. It’s a bug zapper, plain and simple — a $179 bug zapper.

Don’t they make fly paper anymore? It sure wasn’t $179. Or how ‘bout “OFF!®?” What happened to the cans of stinky stuff that you used to spray on your skin that drives the critters wild and keeps them away? Guaranteed, they both cost a lot less than the “The Dynatrap XL.” Sometimes price exceeds value — I’m just saying, that may be the case here. Here’s something else to think about. You can’t carry “The Dynatrap XL” to the local picnic, to the fireworks display or to the little league game. Swatters and OFF! travel well.

My favorite WMD (weapon of mosquito destruction) is the multi-use “fly” swatter — old school. One of the great inventions of all time. Kills bugs of all types. It also kept me in line as a kid. My old man was not shy about a quick pop on the fanny if needed. You might have $179 of modern technology, but you lost some utility as it relates to a good ol’ fashioned butt-whoopin’ for that rambunctious youngster who doesn’t listen very well. Truthfully, you swing “The Dynatrap XL” at a kid and you’ll probably miss. Child discipline is not a product benefit.

As long as there were long-handled devices with something (anything) on the end that could take care of business, you basically had a rendition of what is considered the modern day “fly swatter.” A couple of guys would be sitting around drinking moonshine and killing flies with a piece of screen on the end of a yard stick and you had what you needed. A rolled-up newspaper worked as well.

Dollar Tree®, Dollar General® and Family Dollar® come to mind as three merchants where you could probably find the aforementioned implement of destruction should you be pressed into action. As intimated by the name of each store, what you’ll find here is something that probably costs you a dollar — maybe even two for a dollar.

Look, sometimes technology gets a little wild. Here’s the ad: “The Dynatrap XL lures insects with a combination of fluorescent light and CO, then the whisper-quiet fan vacuums the pests into an easy-empty retaining cage.” I’ve already taken care of three intruders with my 79-cent fly swatter and swept them to the ground. Too much technology can be silly and expensive.

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Patrick has been employed with St. Louis Community Credit Union for more than 30 years. As a Community Development Financial Institution, St. Louis Community offers safe and affordable loans, second chance checking accounts and branches in underserved areas as part of its overall community giveback. Patrick is proud to be associated with nearly 200 employees who have a laser-like focus on service to our members and the community. Learn more at stlouiscommunity.com